Fire hazards associated with shipboard fire varies widely and depends on the risks of accidents, combustibility of the materials used in structures, the types of cargoes carried in ships etc.
Coast Guard personnel, while highly trained in shipboard firefighting, more than likely will not respond to a vessel fire to assist in extinguishment. They have their own vessels to protect. The U.S. Coast Guard will be represented at the fire scene by the captain of the port (COTP) or a representative.
They are a fuel storage farm, a power plant with high voltage, a multistory hotel, a restaurant, and a warehouse with all kinds of commodities—all in one. And, we should mention also that there is an obstacle course throughout the vessel. Shipboard firefighting is more than putting the “wet stuff on the red stuff.”
Although it is true that some tactics used in structural firefighting can be applied in many cases of shipboard firefighting, there are tactics specific to shipboard scenarios that must be learned.
between 12 and 16 weeksWhat firefighter training is involved? All new firefighters are required to undergo extensive training that normally lasts between 12 and 16 weeks. Even firefighters who have been doing the job for a number of years are required to do ongoing training to ensure they're at the top of their game.
Marine firefighters are responsible for emergency response in case of a fire outbreak or other hazardous situations in marine environments. They actively respond to contain fires and the outbreak of other hazardous on vessels, docks and other marine facilities.
Uniformed Marine firefighters serve in Air Rescue and Firefighting units, and are known as "ARFF Marines." Military occupational specialty, MOS 7051, is referred to as the crash fire rescue mos, or more recently, the Expeditionary Firefighting and Rescue, or ERF, specialization.
International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW)
Sailing ships without proper knowledge of handling fire emergencies is risky to lives, ships and the environment. This free online course will teach you about shipboard drill training and emergency preparedness. It covers different firefighting strategies and procedures as well as personal safety measures to take.
All Alison courses are free to enrol, study and complete. To successfully complete this Certificate course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment.
Fewer than 30 people are on board such dangerous watercraft. This includes people of different cultural groups who speak different languages and come with varying skills and levels of education. This is the reason why more than 80% or more of all accidents happen – due to human error.
It is estimated that more than 50% of packed goods and bulk cargoes transported by sea today can be regarded as dangerous, hazardous or harmful to the Earth’s environment. The cargoes concerned include products that are transported in bulk, such as solid or liquid chemicals, and other types of materials.
The opening minutes of a long-term incident involving a marine vessel may be the most critical-and the most productive- of the event. As at almost any large-scale incident, fire service agencies conduct a size-up, establish command, and commit resources. Over the next several hours, they call for extra resources and make decisions that will affect the course of the incident. With a large-scale incident involving a marine vessel, however, fire personnel could be involved with people who would have to perform tasks and roles we never knew existed.
Much has been written about the February 1982 MV Protector Alpha fire at a Kalama, Washington, grain terminal that left one United States Coast Guardsman dead, one firefighter injured, and the cargo ship itself a total constructive loss. That shipboard fire was the catalyst for the creation of the MFSA, F-PAAC, and a training program that has lasted for more than 30 years-one that has trained at numerous locations across the United States (the Washington State Fire Academy in North Bend; the Center for Marine Training at Texas A&M; and the Hampton Roads Marine Fire Fighting Symposium in Virginia).
This practical firefighting course is for officers and senior ratings who will be in charge of a shipboard fire party. The course will provide participants with an understanding of the hazards associated with the marine environment; the prevention of shipboard incidents; rescue and abandonment, firefighting communication methods and practical firefighting organization and control. The course meets the requirements set out in Table A-VI/3 of the STCW Code including 2010 Manila amendments.
Topics Covered include: firefighting procedures at sea and in port with emphasis on tactics and command. ventilation control, smoke extraction, control of fuel and electrical systems. communication and coordination during firefighting operations.
Maritime firefighting skills are essential to the seafarer and training is a compulsory requirement to raise awareness on fires on seagoing vessels and increase safety in the event of a shipboard fire. Shipboard fires can occur in any environment.
Shipboard fires can occur in any environment. The principal causes of fires at sea on vessels are accidents, collisions , mechanical failure in engines and cargoes catching fire. Fire hazards associated with shipboard fire varies widely and depends on the risks of accidents, combustibility of the materials used in structures, ...
The training increases crew and passenger safety and reduces the potentially serious incidents. International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea ( SOLAS ), 1974 includes detailed fire safety provisions for all ships and specific measures for passenger ships, cargo ships and tankers.
Do not rely on your standard fire command radios for communication with personnel onboard the vessel. Communication onboard the vessel may be sporadic at best. Most fire service radios do not operate well within the vessel. You may be forced to use runners to communicate with personnel inside the vessel’s hull. You can position a person onboard the vessel with a radio outside the hull with a runner in full turnout gear and SCBA. Communicate with this person by radio to relay important information to the firefighters inside the vessel. Your standard evacuation call methods will probably not work because firefighters inside the hull will not be able to hear the call. SCBA time may be very short.
VESSEL STABILITY. One thing to remember is that a vessel is made of steel; therefore, a compartment on fire is similar to an oven. It radiates the heat back into the center of the compartment, unlike a structure fire, which tends to absorb the heat. Using minimal water is important.
The unified command system is used at all marine incidents. Anyone who has an interest in the vessel—from the vessel captain to insurance agents for the cargo to the owner’s representative to the U.S. Coast Guard—will be present at the command post. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) mandates that at incidents involving tank vessels a “Qualified Individual” (QI) will represent the owner’s interest in the unified command system. The QI has the authority and responsibility to obtain resources, personnel, and equipment to extinguish the fire and stop pollution. This individual will contract professional salvage and firefighting companies.
In some cases, firefighters entering an engine room to combat a fire ran out of air before even reaching the compartment. SCBA management is crucial onboard a vessel, especially down inside the hull. There are no windows to open to gain fresh air. If possible, stage extra SCBA cylinders near the access points to the fire compartments. This will allow the firefighters to change out cylinders if they run critically low on air. It is recommended that a breathing air control board be used at all fires. On this board, post the individual’s name, the time he went on air, the time of expected low-pressure alarm, and the person’s location. A person must be assigned to monitor the board at all times.
As most firefighters know, one of the first things you do at a structure fire is ventilate. This most likely would not be an option at a vessel fire, especially if the fire is in the engine room. Imagine standing on the roof of a four-story building with one steel-encased stairwell down to the basement and only one door present at the roof. Now imagine that the basement has several feet of diesel fuel burning and the only way into the area is to properly open that door and head down that stairwell filled with superheated gases. That is what it generally is like trying to enter an engine room that is burning out of control onboard a vessel.
If you try to counterweight the vessel on the starboard side, the water on the port side will suddenly shift, basically doubling the effect. Now you would have the vessel slowly returning to even keel and suddenly rapidly list to the opposite side at an angle greater than before, and that momentum may roll the vessel.
Establish access to the vessel in at least two locations—one for embarking the vessel and the other for disembarking as well as emergency evacuation if required. You may use the ship’s accommodation ladder for one of these points. Ensure that the accommodation ladder is in good working order and can handle the traffic flow and weight. If ground ladders are used, do not secure them to the vessel, and monitor them for movement as the vessel moves during the incident.